Description

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
(DARPA) was established in 1958 as the first U.S. response to the
Soviet launching of Sputnik. Since that time DARPA's mission has
been to assure that the U.S. maintains a lead in applying
state-of-the-art technology for military capabilities and to
prevent technological surprise from her adversaries. The DARPA
organization was as unique as its role, reporting directly to the
Secretary of Defense and operating in coordination with, but
completely independent of, the military research and development
(R&D) establishment. Strong support from the senior DoD
management has always been essential since DARPA was designed to be
an anathema to the conventional military and R&D structure and,
in fact, to be a deliberate counterpoint to traditional thinking
and approaches.

Some of DARPA's more important characteristics
include:

Technical staff drawn from world-class scientists
and engineers with representation from industry, universities,
government laboratories andFederally
Funded Research and Development Centers;

Technical staff assigned for 3-5 years and rotated
to assure fresh thinking and perspectives;

Project based -- all efforts typically 3-5 years
long with strong focus on end-goals. Major technological challenges
may be addressed over much longer times but only as a series of
focused steps. The end of each project is the end. It may be that
another project is started in the same technical area, perhaps with
the same program manager and, to the outside world this may be seen
as a simple extension. For DARPA, though, it is a conscious
weighing of the current opportunity and a completely fresh
decision. The fact of prior investment is
irrelevant;

Necessary supporting personnel (technical,
contracting, administrative) are hired on a temporary basis to
provide complete flexibility to get into and out of an area without
the problems of sustaining the staff. This is by agreement with
Defense or other governmental organizations (military R&D
groups, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National
Science Foundation, etc.) and from System Engineering and Technical
Assistance (SETA) contractors.